Color Version 100 Books You Should Read in Your Lifetime

Author: Yang Fei, Tong Xiaozhen, Tan Xin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The Origin of Western Fables - A Search into Aesop's Fables Aesop may have been a person from the 6th century BC, born in Phrygia in Asia Minor. He once served as a slave in the household of a man named Xanthus. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484–430 BC) recorded in the second volume of his work "The Histories": "Rhodopis was the slave of Aesop, the son of Epaphroditus of Samos, and she was the same master's slave as Aesop, who wrote fables." Due to his intelligence and wisdom, Aesop was freed from slavery and gained his freedom. He traveled to various places, telling fables to people. It is said that King Croesus of Lydia in Asia Minor (560–546 BC) trusted him greatly and sent him as an ambassador to Delphi, but as a result, Aesop was killed.
Content Summary "Aesop's Fables" means "A Collection of Fables by Aesop," most of which were created during the time of Aesop's life and were largely written by him. A small portion were later creations attributed to Aesop, the master. As the crystallization of the life wisdom of ancient Greeks, it reflects a very wide range of content, with most chapters focusing on moral principles of human behavior. Many famous chapters in "Aesop's Fables" are well-known, including "The Wolf and the Lamb," "The Farmer and the Snake," "The Tortoise and the Hare," and "The Fox and the Grapes."
"The Wolf and the Lamb" tells the story of a wolf who wanted to eat a lamb but tried to hide his evil intentions. However, when the innocent lamb exposed his hypocritical facade, the wolf revealed his fierce nature. "The Farmer and the Snake" tells the story of a farmer who found a frozen snake in winter and warmed it in his arms. After waking up, the snake bit the kind-hearted farmer, who died from the venom. "The Tortoise and the Hare" tells the story of a race between a tortoise and a hare. The tortoise, relying on perseverance, defeated the hare, who was lazy and overconfident. "The Fox and the Grapes" tells the story of a fox who saw grapes on a vine but couldn't reach them. As he left, he said the grapes were sour.
Influence "Aesop's Fables" is a folk literary work passed down orally in ancient Greece, easy to understand and concise in language. It is hailed as the origin of Western fables, and its emergence laid the foundation for fables as a literary genre. It has long transcended geographical boundaries and has had a profound and widespread influence on European literary history, becoming a source and model for writers. Later writers such as La Fontaine, Lessing, and Крылов were clearly influenced by it in their fable writing. "Aesop's Fables" is often cited in literary works and even political writings around the world, serving as metaphors for arguments, proverbs for reasoning, weapons for satire, and targets for criticism.
"Aesop's Fables" is also one of the earliest foreign literary works to be introduced to China, dating back to the late 16th to early 17th centuries. Italian missionaries, such as Matteo Ricci and Pomdi, translated Aesop and his fables into Chinese. In the late Qing Dynasty, with the frequent exchange of culture, various translations of "Aesop's Fables" appeared one after another. In 1955, the People's Literature Publishing House published the first "Aesop's Fables" translated directly from ancient Greek. In recent years, the versions of this book have become even more diverse. It can be said that "Aesop's Fables" is one of the most influential and popular Western literary works in China.
Excerpts Some people are weak and unable to accomplish tasks but always make excuses about the timing not being right. The kind of friends you choose reflects who you are. Even if you are kind to villains, their nature will never change. A person who always lies will not be believed even when they tell the truth. Although slow, perseverance will ultimately lead to victory.